Chenopodium murale L.
nettle-leaved fat-hen
Annual, sometimes bushy herb to c. 75 cm tall, glabrous except for farina, non-aromatic, often tinged dark red. Stems strongly ascending to erect, rarely decumbent, branched, ridged. Lvs very variable in size, generally with petiole 1-2× lamina; lamina mostly 1-7-(12.5) × 0.5-6-(8) cm, rhombic-ovate, broad-triangular, sometimes farinose, usually dark green, but often distinctly reddish purple where exposed, never glaucous, coarsely and irregularly dentate-serrate; base narrow- to broad-cuneate; apex usually acute, sometimes obtuse; upper infl. lvs smaller and narrower, less deeply toothed. Infls paniculate, much-branched, terminal and axillary; branches to nearly 5 cm long, leafy nearly to apex, ± farinose; fls in rather densely crowded glomerules, farinose. Perianth segments c. 1 mm long, imbricate, bluntly keeled on back, green or reddish purple; margins hyaline. Fr. surrounded by perianth except near apex; pericarp tightly adherent. Seed horizontal, 1.1-1.5 mm diam., flattened vertically, orbicular; margin acute; testa black, minutely pitted.
N.; S.; Ch.
Temperate and subtropical Eurasia and Africa 1869
Widespread in waste places, roadsides, cultivated ground, open disturbed coastal areas, and sometimes in poor or depleted pasture.
FL Dec-May.
In exposed, dry sites plants of nettle-leaved fat-hen may be very reduced. Conversely, in nitrogen-rich places such as farm yards they may attain sizes even greater than those indicated above.
